The stakes of the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize winner
Maria Corina Machado greets supporters after her meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, Thursday, January 15, 2026. Credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/Profimedia
US President Donald Trump met on Thursday with Maria Corina Machado, the dissident who fled Venezuela by sea in December, and the meeting may influence how the US leader tries to shape the political future of the Latin American country, Reuters wrote.
It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two. After leaving the White House, Machado told reporters the meeting went “great,” but did not elaborate on the conversation, which appeared to last just over an hour.
While the visit was still underway, the White House press secretary said Trump wanted to meet Machado, but stood by his “realistic” analysis that the Venezuelan opposition does not have the support she needs to lead her country in the short term.
Maria Corina Machado is trying to ensure that she will have a role in governing her nation in the future, Reuters notes.
“I know the president was looking forward to this meeting and expected it to be a good and positive discussion,” Karoline Leavitt told reporters, describing Machado as “an outstanding and courageous voice for many of the people of Venezuela.”
Trump has said he is focused on rebuilding Venezuela's economy and securing American access to the country's oil. A day after the operation to capture Nicolas Maduro on January 3, he expressed doubt that Machado would have the necessary support to return to the country and govern: “He does not have the support or the respect inside the country.”
Instead, the American leader praised the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, on several occasions, saying that the interaction with her was a very good one.
Wanted by Trump, the Nobel Prize was won by Machado
In December, Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, an award that Donald Trump has long wanted. The Venezuelan opposition party said it would “love” to award it personally to the US president, but the Norwegian Nobel Institute later clarified that the award could not be transferred, divided or revoked.
After leaving the meeting with Trump, Machado declined to say whether he presented the award to the president.
Asked by Reuters on Wednesday if he would like to give the Venezuelan opponent the prize, the US leader replied: “No, I didn't say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“She's a very nice woman. I think we'll just talk about the basics,” he added.
